To Love, Honor, and Obey
by koishii-glory
Summary: Princess Kaoru is saved by the savage battousai. Law of the land gives him her hand in marriage. Kaoru hates the idea and runs away. Guess who catches her? Battousai has a split personality that is nice? [bk]
1. chapter one

Love and Honor 

** Summary**- Princess Kaoru is saved by the savage Hikotiri Battousai. Law of the land gives him her hand in marriage. Kaoru hates the idea, and tries to run away, but guess who catches her? And wait Battousai has a split personality that is actually… nice? B/K

**-The first of my many revisions- - Revamped my wacky way of saying Edited -**

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**Chapter One [Revamped!]: **_The Savior_

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_Footsteps. _

_They pounded on the heavily on the stone floor with a rhythmic beat. They were almost in sync and they started a miniature song of their own. The gruff voices that no doubt came from the same bodies as the footsteps were malicious and taunting. They were having a jolly old time and they did not want the fun to end. In this atmosphere, Kaoru found herself, scared and alone. _

She hid in the bathhouse and prayed that no one would hear her labored breathing. She could hear them outside, jeering and laughing. Kaoru coached herself to breathe in the smallest and quietest breaths possible. Kaoru could hear them talking, arguing was more like it, and there did not seem to be harmony among the men. Their voices were loud and boisterous, and Kaoru guessed they were raging in drunkenness. She did not understand what they were saying, because their voices were indistinct an incoherent, but their tones were so deviant that she had no doubt in her mind that if they found her, death would be certain. She didn't want to die, not when she hadn't learned the Kamiya Kasshin Style yet! If only she knew it, then she would not be in this chaos…If only she were allowed to be braver. She had never been taught to be, as a matter of sheer fact, she was not allowed do very much that involved using one's brain or one's courage.

In return, for letting her parents mold her into their ideal of what she should be, Kaoru was granted one single wish. She wished to stay an unmarried princess; Kaoru supposed it was a fair trade, one's mind for their future.

It seemed almost at once that the horrible voices faded away and their daunting footsteps seemed to stop making any sort of noise at all. The Princess let out a large sigh of relief, because her whereabouts had not yet been discovered. After another tense moment, Kaoru let her muscles relax and she decided to stay in the bathhouse, just to be certain.

She laid her head back against the bathhouse walls, and let her mind wander to her family, her father, her mother, her younger brother, Yahiko, and her sister, Misao. She was happy that Misao was safely tucked away in another province with her husband Aoshi that although he never showed it, loved her with all of his being. Yahiko was training in the mountains, and learning from the royal advisors. Only her mother, father, and herself were left at the palace. A few miserable tears rolled down her cheeks at the thought of her parents, where were they? Were they safe or had those invaders slaughtered them? If this were sadly true, what would become of her? How would she survive? Oh, if only she were allowed to be bolder as she once was, then she would know how to take care of this.

When Kaoru pulled all of her courage together, she left the safety of the bathhouse. As she neared the heavy wooden door, Kaoru could not help but wonder what she would find; would anything be left, had her palace been destroyed?

Every step felt like her last. What was waiting for her on the other side of this door? When she reached the door, her hand grasped the knob, and she softly pushed open the door. Her blue eyes were tightly shut, as she walked out, but she did force herself to open them. She looked around, and saw that almost nothing had changed! This was…

A large dirty hand clamped over the princess's mouth, and she felt hot breath on her neck. She wanted to cringe, at the thought of this creature that dared lay a hand on her. A hot passion to defend her body took over her, and she began to struggle. She had not felt that feeling in a long while. Her foe was too strong for her, because he already had the upper hand. He pulled her closer to his sweaty body, painfully. He dug his fingers into her cheeks, and she sadly knew that she was beaten. She soon felt hands tie her wrists together, with a rough piece of rope; the rope dug into her tender flesh and Kaoru knew she would get burn marks and her wrists would no doubt be swollen. The unknown person's breath was still on her neck, and Kaoru took the chance to sneak a peek at the man who held her, should she ever need to identify him for the royal court. But, Kaoru wished she hadn't, and forgot about the court and all she hoped they would do to him. The man had wild and bushy eyebrows that seemed to take over his entire head, his hazel deadly eyes were glinting devilishly, and his burnt face was much worse than any mask she had ever seen. She whipped her head around and did her best to keep her anger in check when taunted her obvious discomfort at his appearance.Kaoru would be happy never seeing him again.

She then heard the all too familiar voices of the men, echoing through the halls and bouncing off the walls, but this time they weren't so confident and sure. No, something had changed in their tones, they sounded scared, and troubled, a strong contrast to their confident deviance of before. She still couldn't understand what they were saying, but she certainly understood cries of anguish, and the smell of death, which hung in the air all around her, and choking her.

Princess Kaoru's kidnapper moved them back into the bathhouse, so stealthily that she barely realized their movements. It was past the witching hour with no moon to speak of, so no light peaked into the room. There she stood, and in the dark with a man she didn't know or trust, with no chance of being saved. Kaoru soon began to feel despair, and if only she could fight back! How different the situation would surely be! In the midst of her heart pounding in her ears, Kaoru could still hear the cries of the dying, and prayed that her father and mother weren't among those cries. She prayed that she wouldn't be among those cries, either.

What happened next occurred so rapidly that Kaoru didn't comprehend most of it. The door of the bathhouse swung open (and the sound it made!) crashing against the wall, made a strong contrast to the silence of the room. Dim light slightly brightened the room, and the outline of a figure could be seen in the doorway. Kaoru couldn't see the face or any important details, so she did not know if he was friend or foe. Her kidnapper tightened his grip on her mouth, and Kaoru gasped. In the blink of an eye, the hand that was over her mouth was gone, and the figure at the door was gone as well. She heard shuffles, grunts and chuckles, but she could see nothing, because the sounds came from the unlit side of the bathhouse. Kaoru did not move an inch, afraid that the two fighters would return their focus back to her. The princess could hear the clash of metal, and knew that the two mysterious figures were fighting one another, but all too soon the clashing ended, and silence filled the room. Kaoru stood uncertainly, not sure of what to do or where to go. Then, she felt the tight rope that bound her hands together fall from her wrists, and then she felt a hand grab her arm, and she found herself being pulled out of the room.

Kaoru was going so fast that everything around her was all a blur of colors and light. She was led through all of the hallways of the Kamiya Palace, until finally she and the winner of the fight were outside. She could barely hear the breathing of the fighter, which she found odd, because she could barely catch her lost breath, how was he able to breathe evenly after a run such as that? Kaoru then remembered that her captor had extremely heavy breathing, and she realized she was once again in undefined company. The princess was itching to know who he was, and eagerly raised her cerulean eyes, and gasped. The fighter wore a mask over his face, but kept his flaming locks in a ponytail. She could see that he was only a few inches higher off of the ground than herself, and he had [presumably] beaten a man in the likes of her towering captor! How extraordinary! Kaoru's amazement was quickly transferred, however, when her gaze slid up to his eyes. They instantly captured her, because of their bizarre color; they were amber, deep and smoldering amber.

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The Akumi Tribe had tried to invade the Kamiya Palace. Tried, being the key word. The Akumi's had severely underestimated the soldiers of the land; the soldiers were well trained and loyal to their king. Also, the tribe was not much to gossip about as it were, and had not successfully invaded so much as a campfire in many years. Their golden days had come quickly and gone at an even faster rate. The tribe was barely holding their own against the soldiers, when the arrival of the **Battousai **[one of the most dangerous men in the world] tipped the balance out of their favor. For some reason, he had decided to help the Kamiya's and had scared off most of the men, and slain the rest. Why he had done the act of chivalry was a matter of opinion, but the Battousai had always done things by his own law book, which no one could ever quite understand.

Although, all of his efforts in recapturing the castle were noble, they paled vastly in comparison to his biggest feat. Saving the King's very beautiful and very eligible daughter was much more important to the people, because she was the land's pride and no harm could ever come to her. Heads would roll before that happened.

King and Queen Kamiya had managed to come out of the invasion fairly unscathed, and mostly in part of the Battousai. He had scared off all of the warriors that were trying to get to the pair. King Kamiya was so pleased and thankful of the man that he had, in the heat of brainless gratitude, given the swordsman the most precious gift that a king could give, his daughter's hand in marriage, and enough money and land to start a small republic.

Sadly, King Kamiya was blessed with only two daughters, one who was already married and another that had vowed to remain a virgin princess. Sadly, his options were few, so he gave over his unmarried daughter to the worldly legend.

King Kamiya was always known to go _unnecessarily_ above and beyond the call of** any **duties.

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Well that is the first chapter/ prologue. If you liked it or if you didn't review!

**Yeah. I finished the revisions in an hour. :D Which means I'll have to proofread these changes. ¬¬ **

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**Will it ever end??? **

**Glory**


	2. chapter two

Love and Honor 

Summary- Princess Kaoru is saved by the savage Hikotiri Battousai. Law of the land gives him her hand in marriage. Kaoru hates the idea, and tries to run away, but guess who catches her? And wait Battousai has a split personality that is actually… nice? B/K

another chapter redone (5/29/07)

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Kaoru lay in the grass with her eyes lightly closed. She could feel the sun warming her pale skin as she rested. The smell of the rich dirt beneath her body and the prickly grass tickling her skin helped her remember how wonderful living was. Since her brush with death, Kaoru had become serene and pensive. She valued that had been given the right to life, and the right to live it how she chose. Could a young woman really be so lucky? Kaoru now believed she could. 

"Majesty! Majesty! His highness requests your attendance in the throne room." A young servant broke her thoughts, and she slowly rose to greet him. Her parents had become stricter and often called her, if only to prove that she were still alive.

She followed the servant to the throne room. The servant boy lowered his head as he ushered her inside.

Kaoru ignored the outrageoulsly decorated room with gold and silver trimming inch of the room and crushed diamonds embedded into the wall paint, making the room glisten in the day. Two thrones decorated the center of the room. One throne was covered in silk and satin fabric, and had gold thread weaved in and out of the fabric, and the wood was of the best quality, and the other throne was mild in comparison and size. The larger one held Kaoru's father, and the other held her mother.

Kaoru gracefully went up to her parents and bowed at their feet. When her father gave her permission to stand, the princess got up, and stared at her parents expectantly. Under her gaze, Kaoru's mother, Queen Chiharu, started to cry. Kaoru felt puzzled, and looked at her father, confused.

"Father, what is wrong with mother?" The king's moved around in his seat, as though he were uncomfortable. His indigo eyes would not meet hers, as he spoke barely over a whisper. "What?"

"I said that you would be married, within the fortnight. I'm sorry, I know how you didn't wish to be married, but sometimes in life we must do things we don't wish to do. " He paused to see her display of anger, but found disappointment lingering in her eyes.

He cut his eyes quickly away; he couldn't bear to see the change in her. He mentally locked his shame into the depths of his spirit and readjusted his mind to compose himself as king.

"The seamstress should be in your room waiting to take your measurements." he commanded her silently to rue his authority with his strict tone and posture. He looked down at her brow with a commanding gaze, not willing to chance a second look into her eyes.

Kaoru stood there a moment with her mouth agape, then shut it tightly into a thin line, then stormed off to her room. Kaoru felt betrayed and confused. Her father had told her that she would never have to marry, if that wasn't her wish. How could she born of a man who did not honor his obligations? What kind of king had her father become?

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The Imperial King and Queen watched as their youngest child stormed out of the throne room, with none of the grace that princess should have. The sound of her footsteps echoed throughout the deathly quiet room. The queen, with no lose of emotion, broke the silence. 

"How could you do this?" His wife accused through her tears. "You promised Kaoru, and now you go back on your word without even explanation! How can you expect her to respect you, when you've given her no reason to? What have you become my king?"

"Quiet!" His majesty had never been spoken to in such a manner, and was not used to the shamefulness he felt. He was the king and her unbridled mouth would not keep him from his duties. "It was my duty. It is law that if a male suitor restores order he is given the ultimate honor of controlling a portion of this country and marriage is the key to that control."

His wife's eyes became larger and angrier, "You are the King! You could change the law any time you'd like! If you were going to give my daughter away in marriage, you could have discussed it with me. The Hikotiri Battousai is the most feared man in the world! He cannot provide for her, because he will have trouble not killing her- with shame. He will ruin her honor."

"Kaoru cannot be compromised. Do not make the appearance that I am satisfied with this arrangement. I am bound by my laws and my word."

"You seem oddly at peace with your unhappiness your highness. I wonder what you are to gain from your 'obligations'."

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The Queen went to her daughter's chambers, and found Kaoru being stuck with pins and needles by the seamstress. The queen cleared her throat and the seamstress instantly got on her knees, and bowed to her queen's feet. "Leave servant, I wish to speak with the Princess." She said harshly to the seamstress. 

The tiny woman grabbed her fabrics and needles and scurried out of the room. When she was sure that the seamstress was completely out of ear shot, the queen began to walk over to her daughter, then pulled her into a motherly hug, and began to comfort Kaoru.

Kaoru had been in tears since she had gotten into her room, and was still weeping when her mother had come. It hurt to see her daughter in so much pain, but nothing could be done. The king had already given his word in a formal document that Kaoru would be the Battousai's bride. He had hurriedly gotten the necessary contracts written and signed without allowing his family to know his plans.

"Kaoru, everything that is unbalanced will right itself. You will see in time." The Queen attempted to help her daughter to adjust. The best Kaoru could do was accept her fate quietly, although the Queen wished to see a fighting spirit within her daughter.

"It must be Shishio. Only he would have the evilness to plan out such an elaborate plot against Father to own our land." Kaoru could only imagine that her father had been seduced the Prince's wealth and power. She was sure that Shishio had made him an offer that he could not refuse.

"The Battousai." The Queen spat out the name with disdain and fear. She feared him for his past and hated him for what he would soon do.

Kaoru would have given a response if she were able to control her the agony coming from her mouth.

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	3. chapter three

Love and Honor 

Summary- Princess Kaoru is saved by the savage Hikotiri Battousai. Law of the land gives him her hand in marriage. Kaoru hates the idea, and tries to run away, but guess who catches her? And wait Battousai has a split personality that is actually… nice? B/K

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The Queen watched her daughter as she allowed the news to take it's effect. " I'm sorry, but our hands have been tied. Law of the land says that if an eligible man saves a princess, then he has the right to marry her. Perhaps, he isn't as bad as he sounds. He did rescue you from certain death, and save our beloved castle- a man who would do that can't be all that horrible." 

Kaoru stared at her mother for a second, letting her words sink in, before bursting out, "He ruthlesslly slayed hundreds of men."

Her mother corrected her.. "If he had not killed, then this world be a different place. Prince Shishio would have surely seen us all enslaved and made you a concubine. Be thankful for him Kaoru, do not belittle him."

The Queen did not recognize her own words as they fell from her lips, but they were truthful. There was some good in all men, even a manslayer.

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A man could be seen walking down a steep hill. His long hair flowed down his back like black ink falling from a bottle. His body was strong and his muscles seemed to be sculpted by the hands of an artist. Even at his age, Hiko Seijiru was handsome, and could pass for a man ten years younger. With his long journey down the hill complete, he walked over to a small cottage at the bottom of the hill. 

He walked over to the back entranceway and slid open the door. Hiko went over to his bedroom, and changed into clean clothes. He had been training rigorously for hours, and felt tired, but had many tasks to complete.

Hiko went into his kitchen, and was about to start preparing his dinner, but he felt the familiar ki of his son coming ever closely to his home.

"What are you doing here Baka Deshi? You visited a few months ago. Just couldn't stay away, eh?" Kenshin walked into the kitchen, and held a white piece of paper in his hand. Hiko noticed that his eyes were a dangerous gold, and he wondered what was wrong. Hiko raised an eyebrow as his son handed a letter over to him. Hiko took the letter, and read it wordlessly. The shock he felt almost showed on his face, but he couldn't hold back the laughter bubbling in his chest.

"You're bethrothed to a princess? I feel sorry for her."

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Hiko watched as his son's body disappeared over the hill, and sighed. He still remembered Kenshin, before he turned away from Hiko, and became a manslayer. The soft purple of his Baka Deshi's eyes is what he missed the most. That kind eyed boy had succumbed to the darkness. 

He'd been afraid that would happen, and had agonized over teaching Kenshin his sword technique, but that was all Hiko knew His sword was all that he could pass down to the boy and he did so with some reluctance. It was the only way he could bond with the child that he has abandoned at birth for war.

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**Kenshin's Past**

Hiko had kept the knowledge that he was Kenshin's father away from him. He did not share the truth until he had fully trained the boy. Hiko had trained him harder than his other students, expecting more from his son. Kenshin never knew that Hiko pushed him so hard, because he knew that he could be the most skilled swordsman in his style. Kenshin mistook Hiko's actions, as hate for many years, and tried his hardest to gain the older man's respect.

Kenshin admired Hiko from the day that Hiko saved him from becoming a slave. Hiko was the only person he had to look up to, because his mother had been slain when he was too young to remember much about her. Kenshin didn't remember his father at all, and presumed that he had died as well. The little boy always felt alone, and himself unworthy to have a real family. Until the great swordsman had arrived, Kenshin had been his own mother and father.

The streets raised Kenshin until he was nine. His mother was killed, but Kenshin couldn't remember the face of her killer. The red haired boy could only see puddle of blood surrounding her head. She looked like his fallen angel dropping from heaven to protect him. Her melodic voice boomed in his head shouting for him to run as far as he could, until Daddy found him. Her voice stopped with a blunt knock in the head sending her to her place back with the cherubs in the sky.

He turned back only once to see her innocent purple eyes go blank and her spirit soar up to through the clouds. With her instructions in mind, Kenshin ran as far as he could. He believed if he kept running that his father would stop him. No one ever told him to stop running.

He learned to survive, but life wasn't easy for him at all. Kenshin ate what ever he found on the street, whether it be molding bread, rats that he caught or half eaten fish, so long as it filled his stomach, it really didn't matter. He took shelter when he could. Most nights he slept under the stars, and prayed on each one that his father would find him, whoever he was. His hope and faith that his father would come and save him from his bleak reality kept him going for many years.

He often dreamed up images of his father, when he could find no food or place to lay his head at night. It kept his mind off of his empty stomach and the cold winds of the night. He once made up a tall strong man with dark hair, with very strong arms to protect and shield Kenshin from the harshness of the world. He so wanted to be held in those strong arms, and to know that he was safe and more importantly, loved.

_Love._ The tiny boy had gone so many years without. He did not even know what it felt like. He was certain that his mother loved him, and could still feel her hugs, and the scent of jasmine that always seemed to be on her. He missed that feeling, but when his father came, he would have that feeling again.

As the years slowly dragged on, Kenshin started doing odd jobs for anyone who would give him a place to sleep and food to fill his belly. He would often do back breaking work which men several years older than him would not even do. He would usually stay a week or two, and then travel on to the next willing benefactor that he would by chance encounter.

After years passed, he began to lose hope that his father would ever find him. Kenshin had traveled so far from the place that his mother died that he was sure that his father could never find him. So, he decided to look for his father instead. His only plan was to go back to place of his mother's murder, and start from there.

On his travels, Kenshin went through the large country of Kasshin, ruled by the young King Syaoran and his wife, Queen Chiharu. There was a large celebration in the main street of the country, because of the King's birthday. Kenshin, wanting to join the fun, went to the great party, where he saw _her._ She was the king's youngest child. She was standing by her mother's throne, next to her eldest sister, Princess Misao. He did not know why, but he felt strangely close to her, even though he hadn't met her. Her blue eyes captured his, and for seconds the two children stared at each other, and they both knew that they had found a friend, in a stranger.

When the public was allowed to bow at the feet of the king and his family, Kenshin rushed over, not caring that he looked like dirt not worthy to praise the family.. He stood in line patiently until finally his chance came. He knelt at the feet of the family, but Princess Kaoru did something strange. She left her mother's side and went over to the boy with flaming hair, and hugged him.

The crowd was astounded, but quickly became overjoyed. The little girl's random act of affection towards a young beggar showed the king's great love for his people had spilled over into his children. This only boosted the approval of their young king. He was a man of the people and would never betray his ideals.

Kaoru whispered into the boy's ear, while hugging him words that he would never forget. "You and I shall be friends from this moment on. I don't care that you are beneath me, friends should never bow to friends."

"Why?" He asked truly puzzled.

"Because I said so, and because I like you." With that, the young princess let go of him, and with as much grace as she could muster, went back over to stand with her mother.

Even after days of analysis, Kenshin still could not understand what had driven that girl of noble blood to befriend him. He had to admit that it felt great, having a friend in this world. He had been so alone, but knowing that there was someone in his corner, a princess no less, made him feel stronger. He could do anything if he had someone believing in him.

He continued to work, because he knew it would help him become someone the princess would be proud of. He had been helping an old couple chop wood, when evil came into his life. A scary man was watching Kenshin quickly chop the wood with ease, for a boy his age. He knew that he could get plenty of money, if he sold this child at the auction block.

The man watched the child all day, doing odd jobs in exchange for food with everyone in the town. He knew the boy belonged to no one, and would easily kidnapped, then sold off to the highest buyer.

He waited till nightfall, and saw his newest victim walking toward an open field. He followed the boy with the intent on changing his luck for the better.

Hiko Seijiru had been fruitlessly searching for his son Kenshin since the day he found that his wife had been killed. After killing all of the men involved, Hiko searched everywhere he could for the only thing he had left in the world. For years he searched, and no trace could be found of his son. His brain told him that the boy had died long ago, but he had a feeling deep inside him that the boy lived.

He went all over Japan, for several years, until passing through a small farming town,. He discovered a young boy with hair as red as the blood on Hiko's sword. He had only met two people in his entire life with such hair, his wife and his son. He could even see his lover's face in the boy's.

Hiko had been discreetly watching Kenshin, but felt someone was also watching. Hiko noticed a balding man had been watching and following Kenshin, where ever he went. Hiko recognized the man instantly; he was a kidnapper that was well known to many. Yamazari stole women and children from their homes as soon as they were far enough away from the men and sold into European servitude.

He pulled out his sword in an extended motion. He dropped to one knee and bowed his head. He allowed the cool blade to rest on his forehead as he prayed for vengeance. The auctioner had not stolen his life from him, but he would recieve the full extent of the blame.

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Kenshin lay in the field as he watched the stars, and he once again dreamed of his father. He saw his face clearer tonight. He had eaten enough to fill him, and he felt himself drifting off to sleep… 

The next thing Kenshin could recall were voices of two or more very angry men. He opened his eyes, and was stunned to see two men fighting right in front of his face. The smaller of the two men was trying to get to Kenshin, but the larger man was holding him off, and quickly pulled out a sword. Kenshin watched in awe of the large man and his amazing sword technique. Kenshin couldn't distinguish them, because of the darkness, but he could see the silhouettes of the two fighters.

It was obvious that the big man would be the victor, and he was. The other man ran away, frightened. Kenshin became scared, not knowing who these men were, but he did not move from his soft patch of earth. The large man came over to the tiny boy, and squatted down, and met the boy's eyes. "It's alright now. No one's going to hurt you. I'm a…friend of your mother's. She sent me to find you."

"But…where is my father? I have been searching, and yet I cannot find him. Where is my father?"

Hiko looked down at the little purple-eyed boy. Hiko felt as if he had failed Kenshin in so many ways. He couldn't tell this little boy that the man was no more worthy of the title, than the man who had scrambled away moments ago. It was best not to tell him.

"He is dead…before he died, he gave you over to me. He had been looking for you also, but he became sick. I am your guardian, Hiko." Hiko stood up, and picked up his frail son, and went on the long journey, back home.

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The years after that seemed to melt into each other. Kenshin learned the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, and mastered it in only a few short years. Hiko pushed Kenshin to very limits of his ability. He would seemingly do it without care for Kenshin, or his safety. Truthfully, his heart would freeze in his chest as he would administer lethal test, after lethal test. Some days, he came so close to ending Kenshin's training, but he never had the strength to break tradition. His son's skill far surpassed anything he had ever seen before. It would be a sin to quite, not when Kenshin was born to do it.

Other students came and went, but none could handle a sword like Kenshin. They often underestimated his power, but soon were corrected. Kenshin always won any duels that Hiko would allow, and the other students' jealousy was obvious. Their jealousy translated into hatred. Their hatred taught Kenshin isolation and tested his emotional endurance.

Life was…different. He never had to wonder where his next meal would come from, or if he would have a place to lay his head, but still so much was missing. His beloved father was dead, and there was no one to love him. All he had ever wanted was someone to hold him close, and take the fear away.

The hope that had kept him going for those long years was slowly dying. What was there to hope for? Kenshin's attitude was also changing. When Hiko first brought him back to his home, Kenshin had not wanted to learn swordsmanship. It seemed immoral, and Kenshin was a gentle soul with only the dream to become the man the Princess would have him become. But years began to pass and her memory began to fade when training began to claim his time. He wondered if she had existed or if she was another imagined friend. Kenshin soon could not recall her name. He quickly forgot to remember her.

With his only real- or imagined- friend slipping through the cracks in his young mind, gaps began to open within him. He had one to believe in him and no one's love to carry him on. He had no family and no friend to travel in his mind. With his real father dead and his imagined friend erased, the sword became his only family and Kenshin found himself utterly devoted to it.

He became infatuated with his sword, and was obsessed with all its wonders. It could slice six men in half, if a skillful person was wielding it. Kenshin devoted all of his time, and energy to his sword. He would wake in the hours before the sun rose, and would practice, and practice. Kenshin could not and would not sleep at night, unless he had drilled, hour after hour. There were days when he would not stop practicing, and he would only stop when his tiny body could hold itself up no longer. During these occasions, he felt disgusted with himself, and he would then devote even more time to training his body to endure for hours under extreme circumstances. Hiko's training, compared to Kenshin's was simple.

Hiko began to notice the change in his son, but never stopped it. He did not know what to do. He did not have to ponder long; when Kenshin turned fourteen, a civil war broke out. The western part of the country proclaimed war on the eastern side. Hiko could see the longing in Kenshin's eyes. He desperately wanted to go to war, and Hiko knew that Kenshin wouldn't be with him for much longer.

Hiko taught Kenshin all he knew in two more years. He had completely mastered the technique at the age of sixteen. There was no reason for Hiko to hold on to Kenshin any longer, and he didn't. One day, Kenshin went to Hiko and said that he was leaving for the war, with or without Hiko's approval.

The feeling of fear grabbed at Hiko' heart, but Hiko displayed nothing. "You have made your decision, and I will not stop you. You may leave." Kenshin's eyes that had long since turned into a burning gold, flicked over Hiko's face, before he nodded.

"Thank you, Sensei." The emotionless voice of his son sounded foreign to Hiko's ears, but he nodded also at Kenshin, and watched as the red head turned, and walked away into an uncertain future.

"Good bye, my son." He whispered, as Kenshin's small form disappeared from his view, perhaps for the last time. He had lost his boy, again.


	4. chapter four

Love and Honor

Makamachi Megumi sat in her husband's study, and read yet another of his books. For some odd reason, she couldn't get enough of them. She would read for hours, and ignore her duties.

Megumi reached over and picked up a cup of tea that was just brought to her, by one of the slaves. She had requested two cups, knowing that her young princess would soon be visiting her. News traveled rather fast in the country of Kasshin, especially considerably bad news. And the beloved princess being chained to The Rogue, himself, was considerably bad news.

Kaoru had always come to Megumi for advice. She had always trusted the older woman' s word. But, whom else had the poor girl had to turn to? Her parents were hardly at home, and her older sister, Misao acted like a child, so naturally Kaoru came to the one person she could count on. Her dearest enemy, Megumi.

Megumi could hear the soft patter of Kaoru's feet, and poured her a cup of tea. When her door busts open, and her energetic friend spilled into the room, Megumi did not flinch.

"I am positive you know of the… unfortunate turn of events in my life." Kaoru started off, angrily.

"Of course I've heard. Half the world has." Megumi said before sipping more of the tea. "Care for some tea?"

Kaoru's mouth fell open, and her eyes burned a fierce red. " How can you be so calm? This is the worst thing that could happen to me, and you are so…serene!"

"Why shouldn't I be? There's nothing you or I can do. The King has made his decision and we must deal with it. You will marry the legendary swordsman. Accept your fate"

"Why must I accept? Because I was born of the gentler sex?"

"Yes. I was forced to marry, so was your sister, so was your mother. Why should you be any different? You are such a child. Come back if you ever decide to grow up" Megumi answered in a biting tone.

"I came here for support." Kaoru snapped.

Megumi looked at her cousin, and raised an eyebrow. "What would you like me to do? Rub your tummy?"

Kaoru's delicate face scrunched up into a scowl. "No. I …wanted you tell me what married life is like. You were arranged to marry my cousin."

"Well, let's see. Your husband will probably treat like servant, rather than a wife. He will be the rule over your every move so much that you breathe with his approval. You will have to do as he tells you, don't dare argue with him. You won't be allowed to do as you please, but rather as he pleases. And-"

"MEGUMI!"

"What? I'm just telling the truth. But, I see now what you really came here for. You want me tell that life will be grand. Okay then. Your husband will treat as the Goddess that you are. He will let you speak freely, and will encourage your ideas. He won't make you sleep in his bed. Your life will be covered with sugar and honey. You'll dance with sugar plum fairies, and jump over the moon…"

"Hey, where are you going, Kaoru? I was just telling you what you wanted to hear. Hey, come back and let me lie to you some more!"

* * *

The Princess found herself making trails on the floor of her bedroom. After Megumi's wonderful display of affection, Kaoru decided to isolate herself from everyone and lock herself in her room. The self made isolation made her feel like a caged animal going crazy counting the bars. 

The sound of hoffbeats stopped Kaoru in her tracks. The pounding echoed louder in her head, until she dropped to her knees and covered her ears. She knew the pounding was her fate rushing toward her without any regards of running over her. She ran over to her window, and used all of her weak muscles to shut the chorus of carriages and horses out. Her strength was not enough to close the gold trimmed windows and was forced to watch the display. Her parents and the royal court waited on the castle steps. Three large black carriages were coming down the long entranceway to the castle. Kaoru slid down the wall next to open window, because she had seen a most terrifying sight. In the last of the carriages, she saw a glimmer of red hair shinning in the sun. The fates knew no mercy or grac-

"Milady! Oh, thank goodness! We have been searching all over for you. Your sister and brother are returning home, as well as your betrothed. The entire castle is waiting outside to the greet them. You must come down." The head servant burst into the room with a look of frutration splattered on her face.

Kaoru's brain froze, but she was snapped back to reality by the harsh rays of the sun that suddenly beamed on her face from the open window. It was a subtle reminder that she was a princess, and she would do what princesses always did. Smile and wave.

Kaoru walked along the polished palace walls, and let a finger trace the brick walls as she walked with the servant in tow. She blocked all of the anxiety that she had been carrying around for hours, and acted as her family wished her to. Completely detached. As she neared her destination, she could see the small rays of sunlight peeking through the heavy doors that locked the castle from the outside world.

Finally, she stopped directly in front of the door, and let the servant struggle with the extremely heavy metal door. When at last the door was open, the hero sun spread itself all over the dark and cold castle. With graceful step after graceful step Kaoru slowly changed into the lifeless, yet exceedingly beautiful shell that her father and mother had tried to mold her into.

"You're late." He father murmured, behind his smile. Somehow, he had learned to hold entire conversations, with a big toothy grin on his face, and his lips never moving. How he managed it, Kaoru never knew.

"I was not informed this circus would begin today" Kaoru did not fear disrespecting her father. She was not sure she was his to please anymore...

The trumpeters began the fanfare as the first black carriage rolled down the cobblestone road, making it's way up to the palace. Once the very expensive coach had come to halt, a servant went over to the door, and slowly opened it. The young manservant reached his hand up, to help down the passengers. A tiny and delicate gloved hand took the slave's, and he helped her ascend the carriage steps.

Kaoru could see the face of her sister, but it was not as she remembered it. Yes, the bone structure was the same, but Misao's expression was stately and dignified, her lips were stretched into a tight line, and the shine of her aqua eyes had lost its luster. She looked much worse, when Kaoru could see her properly. The fear for her sister's honor had temporarily taken the spunk out of Misao.

Next, Misao's husband, Aoshi, briskly stepped out of the carriage with a catlike grace, he walked by his young wife, and like his wife, no emotion (or at least any joyful ones) showed on his handsome, yet sharp face.

Her sister and brother in law walked up the long stone steps to stand by the rest of the royal family. Kaoru desperately wanted to run to and embrace her sister. She wanted to tell Misao how she was feeling about the marriage, and receive her sister's comfort. But, the princess stayed rigidly in her place, and watched her sister and Aoshi stand beside her.

Another carriage could be seen coming, and Kaoru closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The carriage was less decorated, compared to her sister's. But, the person that stayed, hidden, inside was truly the man of the hour.

A large group of the King's people came out to get a glimpse of the notorious Battousai who ironically had saved their beloved princess Kaoru. Most people were not happy that the family line would be tainted with blood, but their faith in the king was revived. The king proved to his subjects that even he was not immune to royal laws and would not disobey them even for his own daughter.

* * *

The scraping of the wheels and the horse's hooves against the cobblestone driveway, matched the pounding of Kaoru's heart. She watched intently as the carriage came closer and closer. She relished in the moments before the carriage came to a stop; she realized her life would change and she should hold on to her last seconds of normalcy. 

All too soon, the demon carriage came thundering up to her castle, and before the attendants could properly introduce the expected guest, the door swung open, and a man looking as if he were dressed for battle came sailing out. The mask that hid his presumably gruesome face seemed to scare the chattering crowd into silence.

Kaoru could even hear her father's deep intake, and smiled wryly to herself. The princess kept her eyes on her betrothed, and her gaze never faltered.

The foolhardy guards made a circle around the Battousai, yet the swordsman made no move to grab his sword or cower in fear. My father's hands instantly went up as a signal for them to stop, and the guards backed slowly away.

"Excuse them, Battousai. They were not prepared for your…grand entrance, please join me and my family, so that we may present you to our people." His Majesty's jaunty and charismatic voice put all in the vicinity at ease.

The masked man did not reply, but surprisingly bowed to the family as though he had practice showing them the respect they had not earned.

* * *


	5. Chapter five

Love and Honor

The gardens were the most secluded places in the castle. Since her soon to be husband had arrived, Kaoru had been finding more ways to exclude herself from her family and her duties. She was supposed to be trying on a prototype of her wedding kimono, but she had feigned a headache and retreated to the gardens. She found solace among the rainbow of roses and smelled their delicious scent. She allowed the perfume of the flower to crash over her unstable mind and basked in their loveliness. She reached out and carefully plucked a blood rose, but she still managed to catch a thorn. She realized even the most beautiful things come with cutting thorn or two, but she did not accept the fact happily.

She wandered deeper into the maze with her thorned rose in hand and put her thoughts aside. She felt protected by the garden walls' silent strength and roamed the grounds with out frustration or anger. She happened upon an old wooden door thats she had never come across before in the deepest part of the garden. This area had not been tended to in years: the area was surrounded by undisrupted growth and wildly growing plants and branches attempting to hide the door. No one had traveled this far from the central gardens in years, and Kaoru was fascinated by the unforgiving jungle growing in her backyard.

She picked up a rusty kinfe lying on the ground and cut through the thick underbrush. She ignored the small knicks and cuts she recieved as she fought her way through the jungle. Kaoru enjoyed going deeper and deeper in the heart of the unknown. She was driven by the oversized knob gleeming at her as she approached it. Finally, she came close enough to wrap her tingling fingers around the door knob and turned it with force. Nothing happened. She looked up at the heavy door and sighed. Her power had failed. She turned around and began to go back on the long trail she had followed. It had been a waste of time.

As she walked feeling oddly defeated, she looked down and noticed her red rose lying in the dirt. The flower had been abandoned and trampled, but it left Kaoru with a message. _The best things in her life were destined to come with a thorn or two..._

Feeling invigorated, Kaoru ran back towards the door. She charged full speed at the door and felt her body collide with aging wood. The rusty hinges popped easily and the door crashed into the ground with Kaoru sprawled on top of it. She had actually done it! But...what had she actually done?

She picked herself up, despite the waves of pain slamming into her. Instantly, a slap of fresh forest air smacked her face. She had entered the uncharted wood surrounding her beautiful kingdom. Kaoru could hear the very faint sound of gardeners pruning the central gardens and knew she should turn back to the protection of the central palace walls... Her feet began to move toward the pull of the wild and free forest. The jungle of the unknown beckoned her and followed its call.

When the full affect of her triumph began to ebb away, new feelings began to form. She was alone. She had no shelter or protection and she had no where to go. She swiveled her head back at the castle and gazed upon it. The large castle seemed to rival even the tallest of trees for height and seemed to be more captivating than anything surrounding it. The world seemed to suffocate in its presence and Kaoru felt like a small child. The castle seemed to be looming over her, watching her every move...threatening her to take a stand. She was too proud to yield to the castle. She turned away and traveled deeper into the blackened forest.

* * *

After a few hours of walking in what felt like circles, Kaoru searched for somewhere to rest. She found a dead tree trunk, on its side, with moss growing wildly. She plunked down very sure that a multitude of tiny animals were already crawling over her skin and nipping at her flesh. She slipped off one ruined slipper and cringed at the site. The shoe sole was loosely hanging from the rest of the shoe, and the once handcrafted beading had all been but ripped off. Giving up on her shoe, she turned her attention to the ripped hem of her dress. The skirt was dirty from splattered mud and stank of forest perfume. Twigs and leaves nestled in her once silky hair and her skin was filmed with sweat and grime. She resembled a farm girl. She had no intention on remaining in the forest much longer, but realized she had no money to buy a room. She had never needed money before, and suddenly it was all she could think of. Kaoru was determined to exit the forest that day and stood to press on. 

Night had fallen, but she decided to follow the moonlit path and find a city to dwell in. She continued her journey with last drop of sunlight illuminating her way. The cold air of night dropped through her without any warning as the sun died away. The moonlight was bright, but the trees masked much of its light and Kaoru found it hard to know where to place her feet. She pressed on. She traveled cautiously and became one with the quiet clamor of the night. Other animals stayed clear of her and she fell into her thoughts.

A sudden loud rustle in the trees startled her. She swung herself around to find the source of noise. A fawn appeared as frightened as Kaoru and quickly scampered in a different direction. A nervous chuckle escaped her lips as she whipped back around. Kaoru realized too late that she had criss crossed her legs as she moved and found herself parallel to the ground. She grabbed a fallen tree branch to stabilize herself, but did not realize she was on a downward slope. She had not walked in the correct direction and cursed herself as she stumbled on the downward path. From the gentle curvature of the slope, she expected a quick rolling sensation and a sudden halt. As she tumbled downward, her body accelerated at an alarming rate and she flailed her arms to stop the motion or grab on to anything. The gentle slope continued for an eternity before she suddenly crashed into a rocky bottom.

She lay flat on her back for a moment, before attempting to pick herself up. She pushed her soft hands into gravel and propelled herself upward. She tried to regain her composure, despite the thrashing she'd been given. The moon was covered by the large canopies of the tree branches and Kaoru had a small sliver of light. She stumbled away from the rocks still determined to find shelter. As she moved the impact of her head and body injuries kicked her full force. She temporarily forgot to keep her balance and cradled her head. In that moment she toppled over and her head made an imprint with the soaked ground surrounding a small pond. She collapsed instantly into unconciousness.

It was the feeling of water lapping at her face that woke her. She slowly opened her eyes in disbelief as water bathed her bruised body. She could barely recall last night's events and had no care to do so. She sat up and scanned herself. She was dipped in wet mud and her clothes carried the stench of rotting water. Digging her palms in the sinking ground, she hoisted herself and without thought charged fully into the pool of water behind her. The pond was larger than she had guessed and was immersed in ice water. The sun could not reach this far down in the forest to warm it. The frigid scarf bound itself around her and tugged her under. She felt close to closing her eyes and allowing the water to drag her to the muddy bottom, but couldn't imagine her body rotting in the squishy mass of glorified dirt. Her dignity wouldn't allow it. She clawed at the water and broke the water's surface with more ease than she expected. Her vigor for life surprised her.

She crawled to shore and ignored as her weighted body sunk into the weak ground. She took step after step, until she had reached the slope that had forsaken her. In the light of day she noticed rocks jutting out of the slope and decided to climb back up. Her already heavy skirts were unbearable, but she refused to leave them. They were her only clothes and she would not part with them. With a large sigh, Kaoru grabbed the first rock and then the next. She put her foot on the first rock and forced herself upward. The weight of her wet skirts pulled her weak body downward but she fought just that much harder. Despite falling and sliding several times, Kaoru made her way up the land. She slid on to level ground and allowed herself a small victory as her breath returned. She had conquered a moutain (well a small landslide). She was her own person with her own strenght. She didn't need to be saved anymore.

"What a wet mess. Is that thing trespassing on our territory?" a voice laughed. Kaoru instantly propelled herself upward and saw three men weaving effortlessly through the trees...toward her.

"Don't be rude to the lady. She's our honored guest and we should welcome her." a large man snapped as he approached her. He looked familiar as did his companions. Their rough bodies and blunt faces resembled the men who had captured her castle not so very long ago. She prayed they would not recognize her and take her disheveled features for a wandering maid. Unfortunately, her features were too prominent to be that of a maid's.

"I am not a lady. I was sent by master to gather herbs, and became lost in the wood. Will you help me?"

The largest man flew to face her and grabbed her chin. "What fools you have dealt with. Your face is that of the King's. No face is greater known to my people than his and you dare insult me. Your kind is all alike and I will take pleasure in forcing you to pay your debt."

Kaoru slapped his hand from her face and stumbled backward. "I owe nothing."

"For the deaths of my best warriors...You owe everything." He walked toward her and Kaoru stepped back until her back collided with another body. She was pushed face first into the ground and bound tightly. Kaoru lifted her head up and glared at the man standing above her.

"You were attacking my castle and your men died of stupidity." With a roar of rage the leader embedded his foot into her side. Kaoru bit her tongue to keep from screaming. No one would have the satisfaction of seeing her cry out.

"Too good to beg for mercy?" He laughed as he slammed his feet into her ribcage again and again. Iron blood leaked into her mouth as she struggled to hold down her call for help.

"That's enough Kuwaba! She'll be nothing to us dead." Kaoru could faintly hear a voice growl over the pumping of blood filling her ears. She felt herself being roughly snatched up and dragged by her collar. Her head lopped on to her bosom as a trickle of blood escaped her mouth. As she swam between conciousness and unconciousness, the smell of fire roasted meat melted in the air. Kaoru was suddenly reminded that the Akumi Tribe lived on the southern outskirts of the forests that connected her land to another kingdom's. She had believed the nomadic group to have relocated. Apparently they had been biding their time until another chance to conquer her kingdom arose. Her foolish father had not bothered to check that they were gone.

She found herself on a long journey with her captives which lasted no less than four days, but the signs of civilization began to appear as the journey waged on. The smell of meat drenched the air and Kaoru feared they were closer to the Tribe's campsite. "What will we do with her?"

"I have thought of ransoming her back to the King for land, money, or the entire kingdom. When I think of my dead sons I am filled with hate and only want to see her hung by her toes, naked, in her town square."

"I seek retribution as well Kuwaba, but let us steal their lands first then hang the girl." Kuwaba's laughter cracked the forest air as he led the men to camp. The trees began to thin considerably and the sun beamed angrily on Kaoru and her captors. They were on the outskirts of the camp and the stench of camp life mingled with the smell of burned wood and meat.

"May the Gods find favor with you. Your cleverness is my salvation. Come let us throw her in the-" Kuwaba dug his feet into the ground and Kaoru's head bobbled with the impact. The grip on her collar loosened and her upper body fell on the ground. Three unhumane noises erupted from the men as they charged to their ruined camp grounds. A dying fire revealed that their camp had been destroyed. They tore through the ashes to find the blackened remains of their brethren.

Kaoru scanned the devastation with sympathy, despite her captivity. She wondered why the strong smell of meat wafted through the air and found a large bulk of red meat cooking over an open flame. She doubted the panic stricken people had time to cook a full meal in the middle of a fire. A large expanse of land south of the path she'd taken was burned away. A forest fire several miles away had died just after killing an entire way of life. This explained where the tribesmen had gone, but the fresh meat was still a mystery. Through her tired eyes Kaoru spotted a flash of red. The Battousai.

While the last tribesmen ripped through the land in search of any survivors, Kaoru spotted the Battousai creeping up on the group. She could barely comprehend what happened as the Battousai artfully struck the three men. Kaoru almost feared for their lives, before hearing the waves of moaning. He had spared their lives.

Kaoru felt herself being lifted up and tilted her head back to see her faithful masked savior darting through the trees. "You didn't kill them."

"Their tribe was lost. The Gods have punished them, so I have no need to."

Kaoru noticed she was going through the burned forest, rather than away from it. "The castle is in the other direction." she stated matter of factly.

"I assumed we were headed in a different direction. You did abandon your home land."

Irritated and in pain, Kaoru snapped, "I did not abandon my home land! I abandoned you! Leave me alone!"

"When you are safe." A soft voice answered. She stared into his eyes and noticed a flicker of lavender, before dark amber refilled them.

"I have no use for you Princess. Do not think I continue to save you for my pleasure, because I tire of cleaning up your families messes. I can continue my work after you are gone."

"And what work is that?" She countered. Her cheeks reddened with her unfocused anger.

"Atonement."

"Were your intentions to marry me, then abandon me?"

"I must complete my task, by any means necessary. I came to your palace to decline the offer. Your abandonment of your kingdom was unnecessary and stupid."

"What is your next task?" she asked numbly.

"Defeating Lord Shishio."

"No!" She yelled to her own surprise.

He looked down at her with confusion, "Why?"

"If you should lose, Shishio will come after my kingdom and force me to marry him."

"I will not lose."

"If you do..." she said with fear. She jerked at his clothing and forced him to a halt.

He stared down at her and she felt hot under his yellow gaze. "I promise to protect you."

"How can you promise that if you abandon me?"

"What would you have me do?" He growled.

"I don't know." she answered before fainting

* * *

so you're probably wondering why there are only 5 chapters when their should be 17...call it trimming the fat... I thought the story was dying so I decided to change somethings to revive it. I will finish the story now that its workable. Lovers of the old story...sorry guys...hope you think this is better. 


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